"So...., I sort of had an awakening," Julien said.
Chris's eyes went wide. "No way. The SSS-rank thing you keep repeating? Is it finally activated? So what is it? Is it the raining Meteor Swarm? Will you change into a Dragon? Can you shoot lasers from your eyes like Superman?"
"It's... a shop," Julien admitted.
"A shop."
"Yes."
"So your SSS-rank power... is retail?" Chris looked devastated.
"Bro. That is the saddest thing I have ever heard after the apocalypse."
"It's not just retail!" Julien defended himself.
"It's an Infinite Shop. It lets you access items from other dimensions in the universe. High-level potions for anything, weapons suitable for your stats, and artefacts. I sold three beauty potions to some rich ladies at the Velvet Lounge tonight and made eleven grand just from it."
Chris paused, hearing the reply.
He processed this.
"Wait. You walked into the Lounge? With that face?"
"I had some help. And I have a skill that helps me... read people's thoughts." Julien tapped his temple.
"Streetwise. It tells me who to sell to and who to run from."
Chris looked at Julien with a mix of awe and confusion. "So, you're a magical drug dealer."
"I prefer 'Dimensional Merchant,' but sure, whatever you like."
Julien stood up.
He walked over to the mini-fridge, opened it, and grabbed two sodas, then tossed one to Chris.
'Since when did this fridge have sodas?'
"Look, Chris. You've been carrying me for a year. Paying for my food, protecting me from bullies, dragging my useless ass to raid prep just so I could get participation points to level up."
"Because that's what bros do," Chris said, cracking the soda open.
"You'd do the same for me."
"Yeah, I would, but now I can actually do something more," Julien said while his voice turned serious.
"You're stuck at C-Rank, right and have been trying to break through to B-Rank for six months, but your mana capacity hit a wall."
Chris sighed, his shoulders slumping in sadness.
"Yeah. The 'Mana Ceiling.' It sucks, man. My body just can't hold any more. I'll probably be a C-Rank porter for the rest of my life."
"Not anymore."
Julien opened his System Interface.
"System. Search for item: Mana Capacity Expansion."
[Searching...]
[Results Found:]
Dragon Heart Elixir (Rank S) - 50,000 Credits.
Full-Core Pill (Rank A) - 15,000 Credits.
Warrior's Awakening Root (Rank C+) - 2,500 Credits.
Julien looked at his balance. [11,200 Credits].
He couldn't afford the A-Rank stuff yet. But the C+ item... that was perfect for Chris.
[Item: Warrior's Awakening Root]
[Description: A bitter root found in the Forest of Giants inside the dungeon. Violently expands the mana circuits of the user. Warning: Side effects include extreme heat, temporary aggression, and excessive hair growth for 24 hours.]
"Perfect," Julien grinned.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Chris asked, backing up on the bed.
"That's your 'I'm about to do something stupid' smile."
"System, purchase Warrior's Awakening Root."
[Transaction Complete. -2,500 Credits.]
A gnarly, brown root about the size of a carrot appeared in Julien's hand. It glowed with a faint, orange light and smelled like spicy dirt.
"Eat this," Julien said, forcefully handing it to Chris.
Chris looked at the root.
"Julien, that looks like a goblin's finger."
"It's a Warrior's Awakening Root which will break your mana ceiling."
Chris looked at Julien. There were obviously several doubts in his heart, but so was the trust.
They had been friends since they were kids. If Julien said it would help, it would really help.
"If this kills me," Chris said, "I'm haunting you. And I'm going to make ghost noises while you're on the toilet."
'Why is everyone interested in haunting me?'
"Just eat it."
Chris slowly took a bite. He closed his eyes and chewed. Then suddenly he gagged.
"Oh god. It tastes like burning rubber and... earwax?"
"How did you know the taste of earwax? Finish it."
Chris forced the rest of it down his throat.
For three seconds, nothing happened.
"I don't feel-"
Suddenly, Chris's face turned bright red. Steam literally shot out of his ears.
"HOT!" Chris screamed. He jumped off the bed.
"OH MY GOD, IT'S HOT!"
He ripped his shirt off.
His muscles, usually lean, were rippling and bulging as if something was inflating them from the inside. Mana, thick blue mana, was pouring out of his pores.
"MY VEINS ARE ON FIRE!" Chris yelled, running in circles around the room.
"JULIEN! WHAT DID YOU FEED ME? LAVA?"
"It's expanding your circuits!" Julien shouted, standing on the bed to avoid being trampled by his friend, who was currently vibrating at the speed of sound.
"Ride it out!"
"AAAAHHHH!" Chris roared. He punched the air.
A shockwave of mana blasted from his fist, blowing the curtains off the window and shattering the hotel lamp.
[Streetwise Alert: Ally 'Chris' is undergoing evolution.]
[Current Status: C-Rank -> C+ -> B-Rank (Pending).]
"I FEEL LIKE I COULD FIGHT A BEAR!" Chris bellowed. He looked at the mini-fridge.
"I'M GOING TO FIGHT THE FRIDGE!"
"Don't fight the fridge!" Julien yelled.
"We have to pay for that!"
Chris tackled the fridge. The fridge is lost.
After five minutes of chaotic screaming, shadow-boxing, and property damage, Chris finally collapsed onto the floor, panting. Steam was still rising from his skin.
Julien leaned over the edge of the bed.
"You alive?"
Chris groaned. He sat up and looked at his hands.
They were glowing faintly, filled with an aura.
"My mana..." Chris whispered. He clenched his fist. The air shook around it. "It's... It's overflowing. I broke the ceiling. I'm... I think I'm B-Rank."
He looked up at Julien, tears welling in his eyes.
"Bro."
"Bro," Julien smiled.
"You gave me magic steroids."
"I gave you a root vegetable. You did the rest yourself."
Chris stood up. He felt his face. "Wait. Why is my face fuzzy?"
Julien remembered the side effect description. The second one. Excessive hair growth.
"Uh... don't look in the mirror for a day," Julien advised.
Chris ran to the bathroom. A second later, a scream echoed through the hotel room.
"I HAVE A BEARD! I HAVE A FULL VIKING BEARD WHICH GREW IN FIVE MINUTES!"
Chris ran back out. Indeed, he now sported a thick, bushy brown beard that went down to his chest.
He looked like a mountain man who had just discovered electricity.
"It looks... distinguished?" Julien offered weakly.
Chris looked in the mirror, turning his head side to side. "Actually... I kind of dig it. I look like a Warlord."
He turned to Julien, his expression serious.
"Julien. This... this changes everything. With this power, we can actually clear the B-Rank gates. We can make real money."
"We?" Julien asked.
"Yeah, we," Chris said, flexing his new beard. "You're the brains. I'm the muscle. You supply the goods, I clear the dungeons. We're a team, right?"
Julien looked at his friend, the guy who had stuck by him when he was a useless F-Rank, the guy who was currently covered in sweat and hair because he trusted Julien enough to eat a magic root.
"Of course," Julien said. "We're a team."
[System Notification]
[Party Formed.]
[Member 1: Julien (The Merchant)][Member 2: Chris (The Berserker)]
[Quest Generated: The First Investment]
[Objective: Establish a base of operations that isn't a hotel room.]
[Reward: Tier 2 Inventory Unlock.]
Julien grinned.
"Chris," he said. "Put a shirt on. We have planning to do. And you owe me 2,500 credits."
"Put it on my tab!" Chris laughed, punching the air again. "I'm B-Rank, baby! I'm gonna go punch that fridge again!"
"Please don't."
Julien watched his friend celebrate. The debt was gone, and he had a powerful ally.
He had a connection with an S-Rank goddess.
'Isn't this too good to be true?'